William Leonard Public Library Dist
The William Leonard Public Library District is a government public library serving the approximately 6,636 residents of Robbins, Illinois, providing free access to books, computers, literacy programs, and community programming from a single location, funded primarily by local tax revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersRobbins, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What William Leonard Public Library Dist does
The William Leonard Public Library District is a special-purpose government entity that provides public library services to the residents of Robbins, Illinois, a small community of approximately 6,636 people in the 1st Congressional District. The library operates from a single physical location at 13820 Central Park Avenue and offers free access to books, media, computer workstations, and community programming, including children's literacy programs. Its online catalog is delivered through the SWAN (System Wide Automated Network) system operated by Metropolitan Library Services, providing shared access to a broader library consortium's holdings.
The library is staffed by 9 employees, led by Library Director Priscilla Coatney, and governed by a Board of Trustees including James L. Hampton (President), Dolores Turner (Vice-President), JoAnn Rhodes (Treasurer), and Lula Fulson (Secretary). As a public library district, its primary funding comes from local property tax revenue, supplemented by community donations and occasional federal grants. In 2009, the library faced an acute financial crisis triggered by the economic downturn, requiring $70,000 in emergency funding to remain open past the end of summer. An intense community-driven fundraising campaign — supported by earned media coverage from ABC 7 Chicago, the Southtown Star, the Chicago Sun Times, the Library Journal, and the Chicagoist blog — raised $21,584 in contributions and secured a federal grant commitment from U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1st).
The library's go-to-market motion is community-led: grassroots organizing, rallies, donor appeals, and PR outreach to sustain operations. Its marketing channels are low-cost — a WordPress blog, a Twitter account (@WLPLD), and earned media — and its distribution is purely physical and online-catalog access. No formal revenue figures have been disclosed, and all available data is anchored in the 2009 crisis period, limiting visibility into current operating status.
William Leonard Public Library Dist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- William Leonard Public Library Dist
- Legal name
- William Leonard Public Library District
- Website
- https://wlpld.wordpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The William Leonard Public Library District is a government public library serving the approximately 6,636 residents of Robbins, Illinois, providing free access to books, computers, literacy programs, and community programming from a single location, funded primarily by local tax revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
William Leonard Public Library Dist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Library Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)
Keywords
Where William Leonard Public Library Dist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Robbins
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
William Leonard Public Library Dist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Public Library District Funding: As a public library district, the primary funding comes from local tax revenue. In 2009, the library faced a financial crisis due to economic downturn leading to decreased revenue, requiring emergency fundraising of $70,000 to remain open.
- Donations and Contributions: The library accepts donations via check or money order, with community fundraising events. Received $21,584 in contributions following a Southtown Star article in August 2009.
- Federal Grant Funding: Federal grant money was promised by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1st, Chicago) to support the library.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
William Leonard Public Library Dist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The William Leonard Public Library District provides free public library services to residents of Robbins, Illinois, including book lending, computer and internet access, and children's literacy and educational programs. It operates from a single physical facility and supplements its local offerings with an online catalog via the SWAN library network.
Product overview
The William Leonard Public Library District offers public library services as a single unified offering, including physical and digital library materials access, computer workstations, and community programming. The library utilizes the SWAN (System Wide Automated Network) external catalog system operated by Metropolitan Library Services for patron catalog access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Library Services
- Online Library Catalog (SWAN)
Companies that use William Leonard Public Library Dist
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
William Leonard Public Library Dist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
William Leonard Public Library Dist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Friends of the William Leonard Public Library BoardcoreThe Board sponsors fundraising events for the library, including the August 29, 2009 fundraiser. They work in conjunction with library administration (Priscilla Coatney, Library Administrator) to organize community support.
- The ChicagoistminorLocal Chicago blog that posted about the library's efforts to stay open, helping to raise awareness and donations from the community. Their coverage contributed to the $21,584 in donations received.
- Metropolitan Library Services (SWAN)coreProvides the SWAN library catalog system that the William Leonard Public Library uses for its online catalog, accessible at http://swan.mls.lib.il.us/search~S155.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
William Leonard Public Library Dist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Naperville Public Library: Illinois public library district serving a similar suburban population profile. Comparable as an independently governed public library district within Illinois, but with materially larger budget and programming scope.
- Oak Park Public Library: Nearby suburban Illinois public library operating as an independent district. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size Illinois public library district with similar funding model and patron mix, though serving a more affluent community.
- Evanston Public Library: Suburban Illinois public library serving Evanston residents. Comparable as an independent Illinois public library district with shared SWAN membership and similar governance/board structure, though operating at larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Chicago Public Library: Large municipal library system serving Chicago. Comparably a public library funded by local taxes, but operating at much greater scale with many branches; same SWAN consortium membership and same Illinois public-library regulatory environment.
Others
- OverDrive (Libby): Digital content platform serving public libraries including many Illinois systems. Comparable as a library-serving technology and content provider that complements (but does not compete with) brick-and-mortar library districts.
Direct peers
- Calumet City Public Library: South suburban Cook County public library serving a comparable demographic. Direct peer as a similarly small Illinois public library with shared funding model, SWAN catalog membership, and community-driven programming approach.
- Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS): Illinois library system providing shared services, continuing education, and resource sharing to small public libraries including William Leonard. Direct peer as a peer-level support organization within Illinois' public-library ecosystem.
- Metropolitan Library Services (SWAN): The consortium that provides William Leonard's shared catalog and IT backbone. Directly comparable as a peer library-services organization serving Illinois public libraries, including many small districts similar to William Leonard.
- Harvey Public Library District: Adjacent south suburban Illinois public library district. Highly comparable as a similarly small public library district serving a working-class Cook County community with comparable funding pressures and demographic profile.
- Blue Island Public Library: Small south suburban Illinois public library serving a similarly sized, working-class community. Highly comparable as a small-format public library district with comparable funding constraints and community-driven service model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
William Leonard Public Library Dist social profiles
Digital presenceWilliam Leonard Public Library Dist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
William Leonard Public Library Dist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
William Leonard Public Library Dist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
William Leonard Public Library Dist M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about William Leonard Public Library Dist
What does William Leonard Public Library Dist do?
The William Leonard Public Library District provides free public library services to residents of Robbins, Illinois, including book lending, computer and internet access, and children's literacy and educational programs. It operates from a single physical facility and supplements its local offerings with an online catalog via the SWAN library network.
Is William Leonard Public Library Dist a public or private company?
William Leonard Public Library Dist is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was William Leonard Public Library Dist founded?
William Leonard Public Library Dist was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is William Leonard Public Library Dist based?
William Leonard Public Library Dist is headquartered in Robbins, United States, in the North America region.
How does William Leonard Public Library Dist make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Library District Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Contributions and federal Grant Funding.
Who are William Leonard Public Library Dist's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Naperville Public Library, Oak Park Public Library and Evanston Public Library. Chicago Public Library is listed as a broad incumbent. OverDrive (Libby) is listed as an others. Direct peers are Calumet City Public Library, Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), Metropolitan Library Services (SWAN), Harvey Public Library District and Blue Island Public Library.
Does William Leonard Public Library Dist have an API?
No public API is recorded for William Leonard Public Library Dist.
What industry is William Leonard Public Library Dist in?
William Leonard Public Library Dist's product category is Public Library Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAC, Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management. Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8200.